The Call of Levi

Text

Mark 2:13-17

Testimonies From KC

Gino’s testimony

Multiple classes of “met Jesus in prison” —> Men who are infatuated with Jesus because they’ve been healed by Him

Revives my soul

Recall

Faith of the Leper and the Faith of the Paralytic’s Friends

Approach Jesus, Break Through the Roof

V. 5 - Jesus heals the sin before the physical condition

Jesus has not messed up the order of operations

Every person that Jesus healed — even Lazarus — died.

Every person who is forgiven by Jesus lives forever.

V. 7 - The Scribes ask the right question: “Who can forgive sin but God alone?”

Jesus perceived that they were asking this question within themselves; he addresses this and heals the man. The result? Everyone in the house glorified God.

Jesus addresses needs in their proper order.

Don’t participate in the cultural attitude that “forgiveness for sins” is an outdated idea. We see the priority of being made right with God over/above even having our own bodies made well.

You can receive this forgiveness at any time. Through simple prayer, you can ask Jesus to forgive you and he will. 1 John 1:9

Jesus has the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10) so that you may know that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins.

The passage we examine today will only strengthen these points. You will note that structurally our passage for the morning describes Jesus as a physician who heals the sickness of sin.

V. 13

Note the movement of verses 13-14 | Jesus got up again —> v. 14 “as he passed by...”

If you can capture the movements, then such frames the “teaching of Jesus.”

It is as if we are following behind Jesus and watching him heal people, and hanging on to all of His words.

So much of our own spiritual growth happens in this way; we follow Him where He takes us, and we listen to His voice and watch what He does.

Called, Follow, Listen, Watch

V. 14

Discloses TWO Major points of Information: (1) Name and (2) Activity, or Career

Levi —> Indicative of his status within Israel. Levites were the priestly class of people. They did not inherit land, but were dependent upon the twelve tribes of Israel for provision.

God was the inheritance of the Levites. The “payoff” for being a Levite was their proximity to God and the privilege of serving in His temple.

Tax Booth —> Indicates Levi’s (or Matthew’s) vocation. He is a tax collector.

The significance of this position was that the Roman government often hired locals to be enforcers for tax and whatever rule they could support. Tax collectors had the ability to charge the fee of Rome, plus additional money; the Roman government backed them.

Luke 3:12-13

Two Possible Problems Here

The person who is supposed to be the “closest to God” by tribe is actually extorting his brothers and sinning.

The people of Israel as a whole are not supporting the Levites in the way that they ought, such that their dependent brothers have to serve as vassals to a foreign empire inside of the walls of God’s kingdom.

(One reflects poorly on Levi; Two reflects poorly on Israel as a whole)

Point: Levi is a sinner in a nation of sinners.

Jesus calls Levi in the act

Practical: If you find yourself being called by Christ in an act of unrighteousness, there is a right and wrong response. The right response is to follow. Christ calls Levi when he is committing the sin. Don’t be shocked if the same happens to you. Your job will be to do what Levi does. “...he rose and followed him.”

V. 15

(“… in his house...”)

Good chance this is, again, in the house of Peter. Recall that Peter’s house is Jesus’s home base. When Jesus is in Capernaum, he is described as being “at home” in 2:1; the only possible referent is Peter’s house.

Only imagine the amount of wear-and-tear that that house took when Jesus was doing ministry in that home.

Healing the sick

Casting out demons

Roof incident

Now, Jesus is bringing tax collectors into the home

Practical: A home that is dedicated to Jesus will never run out of people to serve. God will put people in your life that you can leverage your home for.

Challenging Practical: Recognize that your home is a God-given lever for evangelism and discipleship.

Your home ought not to be treated as a shrine or temple.

For children: “garden of ‘yes.’”

For outsiders: a place of rest and service.

Caveat: Ministry happens in “spheres of concern.”

You are a gatekeeper for the lives of your children before being a witness to person x.

If safety can be ensured for your child, gear your heart towards leveraging your home for the kingdom.

Have conversations about these things with your kids.

“So and so is coming over, and we want to do a good job of listening to her because she needs that. Mommy and Daddy really want to give her focus and attention...”

“...there were many who followed him...”

V. 16

Note the repetition of “tax collectors and sinners”

v. 15 indicates that many tax collectors and sinners were actually present

v. 16 indicates that the scribes of the Pharisees were wondering about why these people were in the presence of Jesus.

(Note the irony of the scribes being in the house too) - Like the moment when two Baptists run into each other at the liquor store.

The correct observation from the scribes is that Jesus, being a man sent from God, was actually condescending to eat with sinners.

The incorrect assumption of the scribes was that they were somehow outside of the circle of “tax collectors and sinners.” Note that verse 15 does NOT say: “And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners and scribes were reclining...”

Have Not properly appraised the condition of their own soul. Some times, Jesus’s admonishment for this sort of thing is gentle, like what we see here in verse 17. Sometimes it looks like what Jesus says to Peter in John 13:37-38.

Take time to reflect on your need for the Lord’s growth.

Does anxiety override your mind and heart and steal your joy?

How is your anger?

Have you struggled with your phone, with lust, with speaking two ways out of your mouth? Etc.

Don’t be a person who gets crushed by adversity because you failed to humble yourself before the Lord and admit your need to him for spiritual maturing.

Maybe that is your prayer today as we close: “Lord, I do not feel a sense of victory over (fill in the blank).

Eating is a sign of fellowship. Why does Jesus have fellowship with these people? Answered in verse 17.

V. 17

Jesus says (Mark 2:17)

Jesus is the physician

All people are “the sick”

Rom. 3:9-18, 3:23, Ps. 14:1-3

Romans 2:4

Summing Up

Be a person who is quick to recognize need for Christ, respond to His call, and follow Him.

Don’t have an overly appraised sense of spiritual progress, but talk with Christ about your need with Him.

Recognize the way in which your home can be leveraged for the Kingdom of God and be thinking about strategies for home use.

Take time to speak with your kids about house events so that they can grow up learning what this means to use their house for Jesus.